UMERKOT: An eight-year-old girl received facial burns here on Thursday when an exorcist put her head in a pitcher filled with fire on the pretext of ridding her of demons.

According a social activist of Girhor Sharif, Mir Muhammad Nohri, Lemoo Kolhi brought his daughter Khemi, 8, with burn injuries on her face and torture signs on her body to a private clinic in Pithoro town of Umerkot district.

On being asked, Lemoo said his daughter had been having fits for five days. He took her to Ratokot near Khipro where his close relative and exorcist Roopo Kolhi told him that the girl was in possession of some evil spirits and he started her treatment. He lit a fire in the pitcher and forced her face into it.

Dr Teearath, who examined the girl, said her 70 per cent face, including eyes, had been affected. She was also chained, signs of which were evident on her feet. The girl was not under possession of any supernatural being and was in the initial stage of epilepsy, he said, advising the family to shift her to Hyderabad.

But they took the girl to their village of Moroo Kolhi to avoid any police action against parents and the exorcist.

Later youths of the area compelled them to save her life. They donated Rs20,000 and shifted her to Hyderabad LUMHS.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2016